Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates in general to the field of medical connectors, and in particular to needleless medical connectors.
Description of the Related Art
The manipulation of fluids in hospitals and medical settings routinely involves the use of connectors for selectively facilitating the movement of fluids to or from patients. Needleless connectors are typically structured so that a medical implement without a needle can be selectively connected to such a connector for providing fluid flow between a patient and a fluid source or receptacle. When the medical implement is removed, the connector closes, effectively sealing the connection to the patient without requiring multiple injections to the patient and without exposing health care professionals to the risk of inadvertent needle sticks. The medical implement used with the connector may be a tube or other medical device such as a conduit, syringe, IV set (both peripheral and central lines), piggyback line, or similar component which is adapted for connection to the medical valve.
Such connectors have various limitations and disadvantages, however, and a need exists for further improvement.
In addition, access to a patient's vasculature with a catheter designed to remain in the vasculature for a period of time often requires an introducer which is removed post-insertion into the vasculature. Catheter hubs may have internal valves that can have compression set where an introducer remains in the valve for an extended period of time prior to removal of the introducer. A need exists for improvement of such catheters.